2022 CLE Speakers & Agenda

Speakers with a (V) behind their name will be presenting via live webcast. All others will be presenting in person at the physical location.

Tuesday, October 4^th

9:00-10:00 AM: Jonathan Martin – Immigration Law (A Primer in Asylum Law)

10:00-11:00 AM: Kandice Bell (V) – Diversity & Inclusion: Examining the Lawyer’s Responsibility for Advancing Justice and the Rule of Law

11:00-11:10 AM: Break

11:10-12:10 PM: Stark Ligon – Introduction to the Court’s New Office of Ethics Counsel

12:10-1:10 PM: Lunch

1:15-2:15 PM: Jenna Adams – Qualified Immunity

2:15-3:15 PM: Judge Herbert T. Wright, Jr. – 30 Tips in 60 Minutes from the Judge

3:15-3:30 PM: Break

3:30-4:30 PM: Tabitha Lee (V) – Criminal Record Sealing

Wednesday, October 5^th

9:00-10:00 AM: Keith Morrison (V) – Discovery

10:00-11:00 AM: Robbie Wilson – Real Estate & Title Law

11:00-11:10 AM: Break

11:10-12:10 PM: Meredith Moore – Trauma-Informed Lawyering

12:10-1:10 PM: Lunch

1:15-2:15 PM: Judge Tjuana Byrd Manning – Juvenile Disposition: What Do We Do with These Kids? 

2:15-3:15 PM: Cliff McKinney – Top 10 Mistakes that Non-Real Estate Lawyers Make When They Try Dabbling in Real Estate Law

3:15-3:30 PM: Break

3:30-4:30 PM: Deanna Ray – Ethics

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Originally from Terre Haute, Indiana, Jenna holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Arkansas State University in Political Science and Spanish. She also has a Master of Arts degree from Arkansas State University in Political Science. She graduated cum laude with her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in May 2014. Jenna is admitted to practice law in the State of Arkansas, the U.S. District Court the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Jenna has been with the Arkansas Municipal League as Litigation Counsel since January 2016. Her practice consists of defending Arkansas cities in civil lawsuits on issues of Constitutional Law, Employment Law, and Municipal Law. Jenna’s favorite area of practice though is defending police officers on Section 1983 claims and doing oral arguments at the Eighth Circuit.

Jenna presents and teaches on a variety of topics, including the Fourth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment privacy issues, Qualified Immunity, Avoiding Lawsuits for Municipalities, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, the Arkansas Whistleblower Act, and the Use of Force.

Jenna currently lives in Sherwood, Arkansas with her husband, Cody, 4-year-old son, Jackson, and 1 ½ -year old daughter, Emma.

Kandice Bell is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.  Bell earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science in 1994 and earned her Juris Doctor from the School of Law in 1997.  She currently serves as the Governor’s senior counselor and district representative to Southeast Arkansas.

While she has a background in the private practice of law, she has also devoted herself to public service in a variety of roles. Bell has been a legal aid attorney, an assistant city attorney, a special judge in district and circuit courts, and a special associate justice to the Arkansas Supreme Court. In her current role in the executive branch of government, she has worked on projects such as helping to preserve the housing of low-income Arkansans during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the formation of a state housing program, advising the Governor on the impact of multiple policy initiatives, legislation, and legal questions.   Reappointed chair of the Arkansas Bar Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, she has accepted invitations to give presentations on public policy to K-12 public school teachers, President’s Leadership Class at Southeast Arkansas College, State agency interns, and the Arkansas Bar Association.

Bell is the former two-time elected president of the Pine Bluff Newcomer’s Club in 2014-2016; the 2016 recipient of the J. Thomas May Scholarship to Leadership Pine Bluff, and a past volunteer to the Pine Bluff Community Theater. She is a three-time recipient of the President’s Golden Gavel award from the Arkansas Bar Association, a former board member to the Pine Bluff Salvation Army, and past president of the auxiliary. She serves on the advisory board to the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas and the board of directors to the Arkansas Community Foundation.

While Kandice Bell supports and champions diversity and inclusion within the legal profession, she feels as if she has always been conscious of serving her clients and constituents with these principles in mind.  She has enjoyed speaking to audiences of young people and adults, mentoring law students and young attorneys, and even trying her hand at judging a high school mock trial competition.  Bell is the recipient of the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission and Boards’ Pro Bono Attorney in Public Service and the University of Arkansas School of Law and Law Alumni Society’s Inaugural Public Service Award.

Judge Tjuana C. Byrd Manning has spent her adult life in public service. She is passionate about children, women and girls, the elderly and healthy living. Byrd Manning chairs the Racial Justice Taskforce on assignment of the Arkansas Supreme Court’s Commission on Children, Youth and Families.  Byrd Manning is also a member of the Arkansas Commission on Juvenile Justice and a member of the Arkansas Continuing Legal Education Board.

Byrd is serving in her second year as Pulaski County Circuit Judge Division 8. Byrd was previously in private practice in North Little Rock where her primary focus was juvenile matters. She served as an Assistant City Attorney for North Little Rock (handling HR and truancy matters), the Sherwood Public Defender, and an attorney ad litem representing children in foster care.

She is a life member of the NAACP, and is actively involved in the North Little Rock Chapter and a life member of the UA Little Rock Alumni Association.  An active member of St. Mark Baptist Church, she serves as a large group leader/storyteller in children’s church and a Director for the Watson Primary Ensemble choir for children ages 3-11. In addition to the community and church activities in which she is involved, she enjoys travel, exercise and fitness, outdoor activities, and attending and watching sports events.

A graduate of Lonoke High School, Byrd received a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and a Juris Doctorate degree from the UALR School of Law in 1996.

She is recently married to the love of her life, Michael Manning and gained two sons, twins Owen and Nicholas, who have also truly captured her heart.

Graduate 2003, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts

B.S. 2009, University of Arkansas

J.D., 2013 University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law

M.P.S., 2014 University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service

Tabitha B. Lee was born and raised in Dermott, Arkansas. She currently leads the Delta Justice Center, a law firm dedicated to providing high quality legal assistance to historically underrepresented communities. She also provides funding consulting and proposal drafting services to non-profits and other social impact organizations serving the community. Ms. Lee has previously served as a judicial clerk in the sixth judicial district of Arkansas and as a Special Projects Attorney at the Center for Arkansas Legal Services working in the areas of criminal record sealing and veteran’s benefits.

Ms. Lee is the Chair of the Scholarship Committee for the Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation, a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a Silver Life Member of the NAACP. In 2020, she was recognized by Arkansas Access to Justice with the Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award as a Small/Solo Firm. She lives in Monticello with her partner, Quincey, and their two children, Cynthia and Quincey II.

Stark Ligon became the first Ethics Counsel for the Arkansas Supreme Court on April 1, 2021, after serving as Chief Disciplinary Counsel and Executive Director of the Arkansas Supreme Court Office of Professional Conduct from 2001-2021. A native of Arkadelphia, a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (1968, B.A. History) and the UALR Law School (1975), he was licensed in Arkansas (1975) and later admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States. Ligon was in private law practice from 1975-85 in Little Rock and then Warren, where he served as a part-time deputy prosecuting attorney.

He served as a chancery judge and later as a circuit judge in the Tenth Judicial District in southeast Arkansas (1985-1994), chief legal counsel to a governor (1995-96), general counsel to a state agency, State Judge Advocate (Colonel, Retired) in the Arkansas Army National Guard, and as a mediator and arbitrator in private practice (1995-2000). He is a frequent presenter of CLE programs, especially on the rules of attorney conduct and related subjects.

Jonathan P. Martin is the owner of J. P Martin Law. Mr. Martin focuses on asylum law, family law, and employment law.

Mr. Martin graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2011. After graduation, he attended the University of Essex in Colchester, England for one year to study International Law. Mr. Martin then accepted a scholarship to the William H. Bowen School of Law in Little Rock, Arkansas. He received his J.D. in May of 2014.

While in law school, Mr. Martin served as both Vice-President and Treasurer of the Hispanic Law Students Association and Vice-President of the Federalist Society. He also worked as a law clerk for Allen & Withrow Law Firm and as a research assistant for Professor Steinbuch. Upon graduating law school, Mr. Martin worked as General Counsel and Senior Human Resources Manager for the David’s Burgers chain of restaurants. He also taught business law as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Central Arkansas during the 2015-2016 school year. Mr. Martin joined Monterrey Law Firm in February of 2016.

In 2015, Mr. Martin won the Alumni of the Year award for his work for the Hispanic Law Students Association. He is the current Vice-President of the Arkansas chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Arkansas Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, and Pulaski County Bar Association.

In July of 2022, Mr. Martin left the Monterrey Law Firm to establish J. P. Martin Law, his own law firm, focusing on asylum, family, and employment law.

Cliff McKinney is a transactional attorney at Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC.  His primary practice is real estate law and business and regulatory matters related to real estate.  A Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Mr. McKinney is listed with The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Real Estate Law and Land Use and Zoning Law, is recognized by Chambers USA’s Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Real Estate and selected as a Mid-South Super Lawyer in the area of Real Estate by Super Lawyers.  He was named the Little Rock Lawyer of the Year – Land Use and Zoning Law by Best Lawyers® in 2020 and 2022 and is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell.  Mr. McKinney has served as lead counsel on dozens of multi-million dollar transactions throughout the mid-South region.  His projects include one of the largest real estate transactions in the corporate history of a major global retailer.  He also represents restaurant owners, including franchisees of national chains.

In addition to working on the transactional aspects of a project, Mr. McKinney assists clients with financing, business organization, environmental and land use issues.  His practice includes guiding clients through the regulatory process, including obtaining zoning changes and other governmental approvals.  He has extensive experience assisting clients in obtaining appropriate business licenses and approvals, such as alcohol permits and franchise agreements.  He also assists clients with permitting issues related to the Clean Water Act (e.g., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 permits), the National Historic Preservation Act (e.g., Section 106 compliance) and the National Flood Insurance Act (e.g., letters of map revision).

Mr. McKinney also has experience dealing with real estate-related litigation matters, including adverse possession, boundary by acquiescence, prescriptive easements, quiet title, eviction, foreclosure and restrictive covenant disputes, among others.  Mr. McKinney has also been active in the legislative process, including serving on the Arkansas Bar Association’s Jurisprudence and Law Reform and Legislation Committees.  He has testified before the Arkansas General Assembly on many occasions and been involved in drafting and vetting real estate-related legislation.

Mr. McKinney is currently serving his sixth term as Chair of the Real Estate Law Section of the Arkansas Bar Association.  In that capacity, he spearheaded the creation of the Arkansas Real Estate Review and currently serves as one of its editors.  Mr. McKinney was the first attorney in the State of Arkansas to obtain the status of LEED® Accredited Professional, which affords him the unique ability to assist clients with environmentally-friendly green building projects.  Mr. McKinney served as the U.S. Green Building Council Arkansas Chapter’s Secretary and Treasurer and served on the Arkansas General Assembly’s Legislative Task Force on Sustainable Building Design and Practices.  He also serves on the state’s Old State House Commission.

Mr. McKinney is also involved in the academic side of real estate law.  Mr. McKinney is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law where he teaches Real Estate Finance and Real Estate Transaction Skills.  He has written a number of law review articles on real estate topics, including implied covenants, deed drafting, boundary by acquiescence, adverse possession and landlord/tenant rights. He chaired the committee for the third edition of the Standards for Examination of Real Estate Titles in Arkansas and authored the Arkansas chapter for an American Bar Association book on institutional land use controls.

Mr. McKinney attended the University of Arkansas where he obtained his Juris Doctor (cum laude) and Master of Public Administration degrees.  His focus on real estate began while he was a student at Southern Methodist University earning a Master of Laws degree emphasizing real estate.  Prior to law school, Mr. McKinney was a National Merit Scholar at Baylor University.  He is licensed to practice law in Arkansas (2002, highest score), Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, and he uses his licenses and experience in these states to assist clients in cross-border transactions.

Mr. McKinney is President of the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of Central Arkansas.  He served as Board Chair of Arkansas Rice Depot from 2008-2009 and remained active in the organization through 2015 when he served on the merger committee that resulted in Arkansas Rice Depot merging with Arkansas Foodbank to form the largest hunger relief agency in the state.  Mr. McKinney now serves on the board of Arkansas Foodbank.  Mr. McKinney chaired the Arkansas Bar Association 2011 Annual Meeting and the 2015 Mid-Year Meeting.  He currently serves on the Arkansas Bar Association’s Board of Trustees and is a tenured member of the House of Delegates.

Education

Southern Methodist University (LL.M., emphasizing Real Estate Financing, 2003)

University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2002)

University of Arkansas (M.P.A., 2002)

Baylor University (B.A., 1999)

Associations and Affiliations

Fellow, American College of Real Estate Lawyers

Arkansas Bar Association [Chair, Real Estate Law Section 2006-2010, 2015-Present; Board of Trustees 2021-2024; Member Board of Governors 2015-2020; Chair, Business Law Section 2015-2016; House of Delegates 2012-2015 (tenured)]

American Bar Association

Pulaski County Bar Association

Commission on Uniform State Laws (2017-2025)

State Bar of Texas

ICSC, Innovating Commerce Serving Communities

Christian Legal Society

Meredith Moore was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, but came to Arkansas to study at Hendrix College. After completing her undergraduate degree, Meredith moved to Little Rock to attend law school at the Bowen School of Law. While in law school, she clerked for a Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge for four years and was an Associate Editor for the school’s Law Review. From there, she went on to work as a prosecuting attorney for the Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, primarily prosecuting Felony domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault cases.

After three years of working as a prosecuting attorney and gaining invaluable litigation experience, Meredith decided to make the transition into civil law. She chose personal injury law to represent those who have been victims of negligence and reckless behavior.

“I knew Rainwater, Holt & Sexton was the firm for me because of their serious dedication to helping their clients at times in their lives when they need it most,” Meredith said. Giving individualized attention to each of her clients and their cases is Meredith’s primary goal to ensure the best end result, whether that be settlement or litigation.

Meredith loves living and working in Arkansas and enjoys being involved in the community. She is on the House of Delegates for the Arkansas Bar Association, a member of the Pulaski County Bar Association, the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers. She also enjoys volunteering for the Central Arkansas Boys and Girls Club.

“I make it a priority to get to know my clients just as much as I get to know their case. Understanding each person, the facts of the case, and how he or she has been affected by another’s wrongdoing is my approach to effectively representing my clients.”

Education:
Hendrix College, B.A. with honors 2010
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law, J.D. 2014

• Law Review, Associate Notes Editor
• Litigation Clinic, Rule XV Student
• Phi Alpha Delta, Philanthropy Committee Chair

Memberships and Service:
Arkansas Bar Association, 2014
Pulaski County Bar Association, 2014
Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas
Special Judge in Little Rock District Court
Current President Pulaski County Bar Foundation
Current Arkansas Bar Association Board of Trustees member
2019 Arkansas Bar Association Public Service Academy Inaugural Class
2021 Arkansas Business 40 Under 40
2021 Arkansas Access to Justice Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year

Keith Morrison is a Partner at Wilson & Associates, PLLC. He is a native of Fayetteville, Arkansas. He received his education from Hendrix College (B.A. 1981) and Vanderbilt University, (J.D. 1984). He was admitted to the Arkansas Bar in 1984 and to the Tennessee Bar in 2006. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Washington County Bar Association, the Pulaski County Bar Association, and the Arkansas Bar Association. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. His civic activities include Hendrix College Alumni Board of Governors (1997-2000); Bethany Christian Services of Northwest Arkansas (Board of Directors 1998-present); and St. Joseph’s School (Advisory Board 2001-2003). He was a Clinical Instructor at the University of Arkansas Law School during 2017.

Deanna Ray serves as Assistant District Counsel for the Little Rock District. She is also appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, which allows her to prosecute criminal matters occurring on Corps projects. She began her career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in January 2019. She is responsible for providing legal guidance on labor and employment relations, regulatory, real estate and litigation matters as well as guidance to the Table Rock Lake Project Office. Additionally, she serves as an Ethics Advisor for the District. She has received several awards for her work as an attorney at the Corps including a Certificate of Achievement from the Little Rock District Commander for leadership and guidance during the height of the COVID pandemic. Most recently, Mrs. Ray was awarded the E. Manning Seltzer Award, a national award given by the Chief Counsel of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for special contributions to the legal field.

Prior to joining USACE, Ms. Ray worked for the State of Arkansas for more than seven years. Most recently, she served as an Attorney Specialist for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration (ABC) where she regulated the sale of alcohol and helped usher in medical marijuana availability in Arkansas. While at ABC, she was appointed by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to serve as Interim Director of ABC. Before working for ABC, Ms. Ray served as Associate General Counsel for the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC). Ms. Ray worked for Wilson & Associates, a private real estate law firm, preceding her time in state government.

Ms. Ray is a Little Rock, Arkansas native. She holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies and history from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Arkansas.

Ms. Ray is married to Skipper Ray, supervising attorney for Lender’s Title. She has two daughters, Scarlett and Caroline. Ms. Ray spends time giving back to her community through various non-profit organizations across the city of Little Rock. She is a member, and previous Board of Directors member, of the Junior League of Little Rock; a Board member for Audubon Arkansas; a Board member for the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers; a Board Member for Ozark Land Trust and a Board member for her chapter of Overton Inns of Court.

Robbie Wilson received his education from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA (B.A., 2009) and the University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., 2013). He was admitted into the Arkansas Bar in 2013 and is licensed to practice before the 8th Circuit Court of the United States.

Robbie is the Central Arkansas Representative of the YLS to the Arkansas Bar Association, is a member of the Pulaski County Bar Association and the Judge Henry Woods Inns of Court, and is a board member of the University of Arkansas Alumni Young Professionals Association. He was an honoree of the 2015 Class of Little Rock’s Finest awarded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In addition to title and closing, his professional experience includes mortgage banking and real estate litigation.

Herb graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1989. After a term as Law Clerk to the Hon. Perry V. Whitmore, He was in private practice for 17 years handling mainly criminal matters. He was elected District Judge in 2005 and as a Circuit Judge in 2009 where he currently serves. He is licensed in Arkansas and Texas. He was a founding Member of the Arkansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, A Life Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and was certified as a Criminal Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

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